A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is an electronic game which is played by multiple players over the Internet. In general, a provider of a MMORPG offers each MMORPG player the ability to play the MMORPG in exchange for a subscription fee (e.g., an annual or monthly fee) and/or individual transaction fees (e.g., a la carte fees).
Typically, to play the MMORPG, the MMORPG player first signs in or logs in to an account using a computerized device (e.g., a computer, a particular game platform, a palm or handheld portable device, etc.). To this end, the MMORPG player enters a user identifier (e.g., a username, a user number, etc.) and a confidential password (e.g., a string of characters). If the entered confidential password matches the MMORPG provider's copy of the confidential password, the MMORPG provider allows the player to play the MMORPG.
Once the MMORPG player has signed in, the MMORPG player is able to participate in the MMORPG with other MMORPG players. In particular, the MMORPG player interacts with the other MMORPG players by operating a virtual character in a persistent virtual world. For example, the MMORPG player may be able to direct the virtual character to discover virtual treasure and virtual armor in the virtual world. The MMORPG player may be able to direct the virtual character to trade virtual items with other virtual world characters, and so on. In some situations, the MMORPG player may be able to improve certain attributes of the virtual character (e.g., purchase additional virtual lives or virtual items, upgrade virtual health, improve virtual armor, add virtual experience and/or virtual currency, etc.) by paying a fee to the MMORPG provider (i.e., a microtransaction).